Hi all,
just wondering if anyone knows why vmci doesn't have the online mini mart anymore?
Basically i want to look for some mini deals to purchase myself my first mini but the website says "PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS FEATURE IS CURRENTLY SUSPENDED DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL"

I could get it through the monthly magazine but im not sure if its worth signing up if i don't have a mini yet!

cheers guys

Chris

My top guesses:
1. Laziness by the author to update, and
2. Removed after the mini thefts on the east coast.

what type of mini are you after? condition etc.......let me know as i may have something you like.
Its ok to be a member even if you dont have a mini.......

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMkVq1jRGU

In agreement with BALLISTIC, You don't need a mini to join, plus the magazine always comes out before the ads make it anywhere near the net so you've got much more chance of grabbing a bargain. Plus all the other news the magazine brings as well as being a member of a great club.
You've got much more chance of getting a decent mini if you join up first.

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Mister White Keys
"He who has the most toys, Wins"

1963 Austin Countryman Woody
1964 Morris 850 Van
1967 Austin Countryman
1975 Range Rover 2 Door
2004 Subaru Forester XT
2015 Potts Teardrop Camper
RIP 1990 Citroen BX 16Valve

catchow u guys are fast!

my lack of knowledge in restoring cars means i wanted something fairly reliable and driveable.

Probably wont be able to pick one up till mid next year (when im up in albury wodonga!) but just wanted to keep my eyes out in the meantime

cheers guys

If they are anything like MOCQ then all you have to have at a minimum is a love of mini's.

I can understand you don't want to join up (I'm trying to convince Ash to but she wants to wait until oscar is on the road)

A has been said you get a magazine and you may even be able to get an experienced person to go with you to have a look at a mini.

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

Reliable and drivable as they are, Japanese cars are great.
But minis are more fun.

I reckon the fact that you don't have a mini yet is exactly why you should sign up for the VMCI and come along to some club events and as a bonus you'll get the mag and see the ads. You will also get to meet heaps of other members who will often point you in the right direction to get a car that may not have been advertised yet and you'll beat everyone. As for the VMCI site, I don't know why the ads aren't back yet. Membership for an adult is $60- a year which is about 16 cents a day. Good value if you make use of it. Cheers and good luck. (VMCI member #2474)

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Flute - 68 MK I Cooper S
Member: VMCI #2474
Member: International Mini Model Collectors Club

I think I can answer this one.

Earlier in the year the Editor & I decided to suspend MiniMart for a time because it's getting really hard to administer. The time it takes to prepare and code (a lot) is disproportionate to the return the Club gets (basically none.)

As has been mentioned, financial members receive the MiniMag every month, complete with the adverts all fresh and new. The question has to be asked, why should we then provide this information free to non-members via the Internet?

There are several arguments for and against, the main one being to provide the seller with a wider market. That being said, however, there are a huge number of ways people can sell or search for Minis on the Internet these days, so adding one more is probably wasted effort.

I personally would rather concentrate on keeping as much of the information on the Site as up to date as possible, and I'm not including the calendar in that statement 'cause I don't do that bit, someone else does.

So in summary, the gist is that the website exists to provide a service to Members, and information to casual visitors. As far as selling cars is concerned, that's a service currently available only to Members.

So join up and reap the rewards!

Cheers, Pottsy (In my capacity as VMCI Webmaster)

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Smile Up at The Trucks!

Love your work in TME, Pottsy.

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One should never skimp on the zip ties.

thanks guys!
sent off a query email to VMCI regarding membership, if i pay now, is it just 12 months from when the payment comes through (the form was a bit confusing).

Will be looking at an early xmas pressie for myself in a VMCI membership soon!

Thanks all

Chris

I bought a car earlier this year advertised on this site and still regularly check all of the Australian club sites in case I see something I like and might want to buy. How many of these clubs should I pay membership to so I can see what is around? I am sure I am not alone in this and I hope other clubs do not follow their example. Why dont they help out members as part of their membership and charge non members a fee like any other sales site does, or they could make the site easier for people to upload their own adds like they have here. It is also a great way to get people looking at their site who wouldn't normally.

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Michael N

the VMCI membership year starts on January 1st - it'd be an utter nightmare for a club if everyone had a different renewal date. If you sign up now, they'll give you what remains of this year free (I think there's no December newsletter anyway). Your renewal will be due in 2009.

I'm a VMCI member, and am in Wodonga..... There are a lot of minis around here, every time I think I know most of them, something interesting pops up. Plenty getting around as daily drivers, several very well restored Cooper S's in sheds that come out on sunny days, and plenty of other variants scattered around in various states of disrepair... A mate of mine usually has a mini or 2 for sale (he actually has a nice 1275 Auto Rover that he'd sell for the right money). There is no locally organised "mini group" though, we all just know each other through the grapevine

I think I'm the only local who likes to compete, though I've heard theres a sports sedan around somewhere - owned by the guy who runs the main bus company - (Mylon - anyone heard of him in racing circles?)

it's kinda good being here, as we're 3 hours to Melbourne, 6 to Sydney, 3.5 to Hay, 1.5 to Wagga (see below), so fairly central to whatever events are on, but you've gotta plan and make an effort.

As far as organised groups go, the NSW Mini club has an active sub-group in Wagga (1.5 hours), which basically runs as it's own club with a local newsletter, meetings, events etc. I occasionally go on a run with them, but rarely with VMCI as the majority of their runs are in and around Melbourne (3 hours)....

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

I agree with clubbie74 - we've been looking for a car for my son for the past several months, part of our research was the various car club websites which we would check almost weekly.

Sure I can understand that members get the best deal - ads in the newsletter first etc but clubs should see the website (including ads) as a marketing tool. I'm NOT going to join any club on the off chance (and we're members of 3 car clubs already so I'm certainly no adverse to joining up and paying my dues).

Years ago I can very close to buying a car that needed some repairs - I rang the club for that marque to suss out the spare part situation only to be told that I couldn't have that information unless I joined. I thought it was fair enough that they wouldn't sell me (or tell me where I could buy) the part unless I was a member but to refuse to say if the part was available? consequently I didn't buy the car and it got crushed - one less for their club. I now have a car of that marque and I won't be joining their club.

A club's website is it's first point of contact for many members, it's also the point that potential members find cars for sale (or at least cars that get them excited enough to want to join).

Sure it seems some clubs will disagree with me but I think the current situation if short sighted and not in any clubs best interest.

My rant for the day over and done early Enjoy your Sunday!

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'62 Morris 850 (Marion)
'65 Mini Delux - sleeper 1275/S discs (Ms Plum)
'69 Vanden Plas Princess 1300
'71 Wolseley 1300
'74 Austin 1300 Countryman
'94 XJ6 Sport 3.2
'04 Rover 75 CDTi

I'm with you -- the club's not doing themselves any favours. I too was looking around for a Mini for most of the year, and favoured the club websites over the commercial car sales sites, if for no other reason than the cars advertised there were much less likely to be dodgy, and have a verifiable history.

By pulling the web sales, the club is actually hurting their members and the argument that they're doing it to favour members first is just flawed.

While I agree that at face value there's no worth in adding "another car sales website", seeing the same car listed on the VMCI or MCCNSW website as Ausmini, Carsales.com.au etc. lends credibility to the car on offer.

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Simon

The adventures of an owner builder in the Tallarook Ranges